Careers fairs reward preparation more than confidence. Most people arrive with a stack of CVs and no plan, spend two hours queuing at the busiest stands, and leave with a bag of branded pens.

The employers worth your time are usually not the ones with the largest stand. Smaller organisations send people who actually make hiring decisions, and they have far more time to talk.

Plan the route before you arrive

Get the exhibitor list in advance and pick eight employers, ranked. Visit your third and fourth choices first while you are still warming up, then your top two, then the rest if time allows. You will be noticeably better by the third conversation, and it matters most that your best conversations are not your first.

“The candidates I remember are the ones who asked what the team was struggling with. Almost nobody asks that.”

Priya Raman

Follow up within two days, and reference something specific from the conversation. A note that could have been sent to any employer reads exactly like what it is.